Holiday Fire Safety and Prevention Tips for Kids

Winter brings the joy of the holiday season—twinkling lights, festive dinners, and cherished moments with loved ones. However, it’s also a time to be vigilant about fire safety, especially with young children in the home. The combination of fireplaces, candles, and busy holiday cooking can pose serious fire risks.

Children are naturally curious, and that curiosity can lead to danger if they’re unaware of basic fire safety rules. Teaching them these safety essentials before the holiday season begins is crucial to prevent accidents and ensure your celebrations are both joyful and safe.

In this article, we’ll explore the holidays most associated with home fires, the importance of smoke alarms and safety basics, kid-friendly holiday safety tips, fire prevention strategies, and how to prepare for potential emergencies. By staying informed and prepared, you can enjoy a festive holiday season without unnecessary risks.

The Holidays with the Most Fires

While holidays bring joy and celebration, they can also pose certain safety risks, particularly when it comes to fire hazards. Fortunately, there are preventative measures you can take to protect children and ensure everyone stays safe. Below are some holidays with significant fire risks to be mindful of:

• Thanksgiving: There is an average of 2,300 fires on average generally caused by cooking.
• Christmas Day: For this holiday most, fires are caused by cooking, candles, or holiday decorations. Around Christmas, candle fires are 2.5 times more likely to occur than on any average day.
• Christmas Eve: This holiday has fire risks such as from holiday lights and Christmas trees.
• New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day: On this holiday, most fire risks come from fireworks and burns from sparklers.
• Halloween: There is a fire risk on Halloween because of flammable costumes and candles.

Smoke Alarms and Safety Basics

Teaching children about fire safety at home is essential, especially if you have young ones. By introducing the basics of fire safety in an engaging and fun way, you can help them grasp its importance while making the learning process enjoyable and memorable.

Here are some steps you can take to teach your kids about fire safety:

• Test Your Alarms:
  Turn this into a fun, interactive activity for the whole family! Let everyone take turns pressing the button and listening to the sound it makes. Use this opportunity to explain the importance of alarms and how they work. To make it even more engaging, turn it into a game—time how quickly everyone can get outside as you practice what to do in case the alarm ever goes off.
• Create a Fire Escape Plan:
  Every family should create their own escape plan so that everyone knows where to go in case of a fire. Work with your family so they understand the possible exits, use markers to draw a map of your home and label each of the exits. Little ones can help decorate the map. Keep it on the fridge in case it is ever needed.
• Play “Stop, Drop and Roll”: Teach your little ones the “Stop, Drop, and Roll” technique by practicing it together. Make it a fun activity to see how quickly everyone can do it, helping them to remember this crucial step in case their clothing ever catches fire.

Related Read: Dealing with Fire and Smoke Damage | FAQ

Holiday Fire Safety for Kids

Kids should be taught rules for safe decoration so fires can be avoided. Here are some basic rules to teach them:

• Inspect all holiday lights: Holiday lights should be checked every year for any frayed or pinched wires. Lights that have any of these issues should be thrown away.
• Only surge protected power strips should be used: Holiday lights should only be plugged into surge-protected power strips so that there is no overload which reduces the risk of fire.
• Unplug when you are not there: To reduce the risk of an electrical fire, always unplug the lights when you leave the house or go to bed.
• Regularly check power cords: You should be checking power cords and extension cords regularly for damage. Try not to plug in too many lights into the power cords to reduce the risk of a fire.

Candle Safety:

• Use flameless candles: Use battery-operated candles that have no flame to reduce the risk of fire.
• If using real candles, use them safely: If you are using real candles, make sure to put them in a stable holder and they should always be placed 12 inches from flammable items.
• Never Leave Candles Unattended: Candles should be extinguished before you leave an area or go to bed.

Ringing in the New Year safely:

• Fireworks should only be used by adults: Fireworks are best left in the hands of adults. Children should always keep a safe distance and never be allowed to light or handle them under any circumstances. Ensure you have a water source nearby to quickly address any potential fires.
• Create a safe viewing zone: Kids should have a safe area set-up so they can watch fireworks from a safe distance.
• Use safe alternatives: Instead of using fireworks, you can use glow sticks, LED wands, or other light up toys.
• Sparklers should be supervised properly: If you use sparklers, there should always be an adult helping the children. Little ones should hold sparklers at arm’s length away from clothing, their face, or other people. They should also always be used outside in open areas.

How to Be Ready for an Fire Emergency with Kids

It is important to teach your children what to do in case of a fire. Here are some tips:

• Knowing when and how to call 9-1-1:

Kids should know how to call 911. You can role play with them, so they get comfortable with calling. They should know where the phone is, how to access any emergency features, and how to unlock the cellphone. Teach them how to be calm and clearly provide the address and the reason for the emergency.

• “Don’t hide, go outside”:

Children should know not to hide in the house if there is a fire but instead to go outside. They should also know that the firefighters are there to help them. Also, teach them to never go back inside for toys, pets, or other belongings once they have escaped from the home.

• Basics of first aid:

Everyone in the house should know basic first aid. If there is a minor burn, put it under running water for a few minutes. Children should also know how to tell an adult if they have an injury so they can be helped right away.

Professional Fire Damage Restoration

As the holidays approach, it is important to practice good fire safety to reduce the risk of a fire during a season when they are more likely to occur. The holiday season is also a great opportunity to teach your children about fire safety, no matter what their ages as it is never too early to learn. Helping your children understand the basics of fire prevention in the home as well as what to do if such an emergency occurs can help prevent fires and save their lives in an emergency. Make sure to practice good fire safety and go over the emergency and evacuation plans with your children often, so that they know exactly what to do and what to expect.

If a fire does occur within your home, the damage does not end when the fire is put out. Residual smoke, soot, and other corrosive byproducts will continue to spread and cause damage within the property. Once the fire is out, it is important to call a fire damage restoration professional. These technicians will immediately stabilize structural damage and pre-clean damage caused by smoke and soot before it becomes permanent. They use advanced cleaning and restoration methods to repair the damage caused by the fire and remove residual smoke and soot to get your home back to its pre-fire condition.

About Beth Markowski-Roop

Beth Markowski-Roop is an experienced and knowledgeable professional in the disaster restoration industry for over 12 years since 2012. She has a proven track record in marketing, sales, public relations, and media. Beth is an engaging public speaker and has led workshops and seminars in various industries. She has worked with ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Clean as a Business Development Manager and Field Marketing Manager, providing support to franchise owners. Beth is currently the Marketing & Sales Director for ServiceMaster By Mason, focusing on disaster restoration and floorcare services. She also works closely with hoarding clients and conducts seminars on the hoarding disorder.